About Us

Getting here

Queens Theatre is located at 14 United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, directly under the iconic towers of the New York State Pavilion. We are easily accessible by car, bus and subway.

Directions From Subway

From Manhattan/Long Island City: Take the Queens-bound E or F train and transfer at 74th Street-Broadway for the Flushing-bound 7 train to the Mets-Willets Point station. Turn left out of the turnstiles, following signs to LIRR/Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Free Shuttle Service

Proceed to street level at the Mets-Willets Point station and pick up our free Shuttle Bus, which makes stops right outside the station approximately every 10 minutes beginning one hour prior to curtain for all Queens Theatre shows. If you'd prefer to walk, take the boardwalk from the station past the USTA National Tennis Center. At the end of the boardwalk, follow the tree-lined path on your right to the Unisphere, then bear left toward the towers.

Directions By Car

From Midtown Manhattan: Take the Midtown Tunnel to the Long Island Expressway (I-495 E). Take Exit 22B, merge on Grand Central Parkway West. Take exit 9P and follow the signs to Queens Theatre.

From Brooklyn: take the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (I-278 E) and exit 35E to Long Island Expressway East (I-495 E). Take exit 22B Grand Central Parkway West. Merge on Grand Central Parkway, take exit 9P and follow the signs to the theatre.

From Upper Manhattan and the Bronx: Take the RFK bridge to Grand Central Parkway East. Take Exit 9E, stay in the right lane after the exit and follow the signs to Queens Theatre.

From Long Island: Take Grand Central Parkway West. Take Exit 9P and follow the signs to the theatre.

Parking is always FREE.

Take a Cab

For a low price and great service to Queens Theatre from all areas of NY or NJ call Cibao car service at 718.478.3223. Mention Queens Theater and save 10%! Rates from Manhattan range from $32-45.

Box Office Hours:

Tickets

Tickets for Queens Theatre’s Dance and Theatre Series start at just $25 for rear-seating, regular seating is $42. Family Series tickets are $12. Here are ways to get even lower-priced tickets at Queens Theatre:

- Rush tickets*: $25 instead of $42 when bought the day of the show for Queens Theatre Members only (2 ticket limit per member).

- Playwrights Welcome is a new program to provide free access to theatre for Dramatists Guild of America Members, developed by Samuel French along with Dramatists Play Service, Dramatic Publishing, Music Theatre International, Playscripts and Rodgers and Hammerstein. The goal is simple: to provide free access to theatre for playwrights, composers and lyricists. For more information on this national program, please click here.

Membership

Become a Queens Theatre member at the Standard Level for $50 and enjoy the following benefits:

- Member pricing (15% off tickets)- Rush tickets ($25 tickets when ordered the day of the performance. 2 tickets per member).- Member Card after your first member purchase.- Invitation to special events.- Discount on Queens Theatre Gala

Become a Queens Theatre member at the Premium Level for $75 and add the following benefits:

Standard Membership is free for IDNYC cardholders. Sign up in person at our box office.

Our Mission

Queens Theatre is the premier performing arts venue in Queens. Queens Theatre’s mission is to provide quality and diverse performing arts activities that are economically and geographically accessible to the 2.2 million residents of Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, and the surrounding metropolitan region. To foster greater cultural awareness and appreciation, the Theatre presents and produces programs that reflect this diversity and features international, national and local artists.

History

Queens Theatre began as the Theaterama, one of three structures designed by renowned modernist architect Phillip Johnson to comprise the New York State Pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair. Its neighbors were the triple Astro-View towers, with its 226 and 181-foot high observations decks and 85-foot high restaurant and lounge, and the Tent of Tomorrow, a massive open-air pavilion with a multi-colored fiberglass roof and large-scale map of New York State on its terrazzo floor.

While the Theaterama showed a 360-degree panoramic film on the State of New York inside, its exterior was an equally impressive sight: its façade was adorned with large-scale original artwork by some of the most famous pop artists of the day, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and Ellsworth Kelly.

When the fair closed in 1965, the pavilion was one of the few structures spared demolition.

In 1972, Theaterama was converted from a movie theatre to a live entertainment venue. After being managed by a number of organizations, Queens Theatre was officially established in 1989 and, after a $4 million renovation, Queens Theatre officially opened on October 16, 1993 with a gala performance hosted by Kitty Carlisle Hart that honored Queens Borough President Claire Shulman.

Today, Queens Theatre is a vibrant performing arts center with three performance spaces: its 472-seat mainstage theatre, 99-seat studio theatre and its intimate cabaret & cocktail bar. The theatre is committed to presenting world-class theatre, music and dance as well as programming that reflects the diversity of the community that supports it.

Queens Theatre is also one of the only performing arts center in the borough that actively develops new works through two New Play Development programs, including Inmigrant Voices Project, a program that develops work that represent the rich cultural diversity of New York City. More than 75 new plays have received staged readings and productions at Queens Theatre, most notably Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph, which premiered on Broadway in 2011 in a production that starred Robin Williams and directed by Moises Kaufman.

Rentals

Four versatile spaces that together can accommodate virtually any private event, including corporate meetings and business conferences,weddings, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures, receptions, concerts, workshops and more.

Easily accessible by all major highways that traverse Queens as well as the MTA #7 Flushing Line and various bus routes. Centrally located between LaGuardia and JFK Airports. ADA compliant. Ample convenient, and free parking. Comfortably heated and air conditioned.

Queens Theatre’s skilled technicians and courteous staff will work with you to make your event successful and one you will not forget.

For more detailed information and a complete listing of our available inventory, please contact :

Five (5) dressing rooms that canaccommodate up to 46 performers,restrooms with showers and a green room

Harlequin gray/black reversible dancefloor available

Full complement of lighting, sound and projection equipment, risers and soft goods

At 472 seats, our Mainstage Theatre has the ability to make each of your guests feel like they have the best seat in the house. Renovated in 1993, the Mainstage features a proscenium/thrust stage, lavish legroom and an intimate feel that make this the perfect venue for your next seminar, product launch or full theatrical production.

Studio Theatre

Seating capacity: 90 on portable risers

Room dimensions: 36' x 50'

Ceiling height: 11' 10";Height to bottom of grid: 10' 51/2"

Two black full stage curtains and white cyc available

Shares dressing rooms and green room with the Mainstage Theatre

Concrete floor with black plywoodsurface

Full complement of lighting and soundequipment

This 90-seat, “black box”-style theatre is a flexible space outfitted with stage lighting and sound equipment that can assist in taking your event to new heights. Capable of hosting everything from a lecture or workshop to an intimate theatrical production with proscenium, thrust or in-the-round seating.

Full lighting grid; height 11' 6' at one end, 14' 2" high over the stage

Full complement of lighting and sound equipment, including projectioncapabilities with built-in automaticscreen

This 90-seat, “black box”-style theatre is a flexible space outfitted with stage lighting and sound equipment that can assist in taking your event to new heights. Capable of hosting everything from a lecture or workshop to an intimate theatrical production with proscenium, thrust or in-the-round seating.

The Lobby

Also available:Complete box office services

2 Yamaha U1H upright pianos,1 Steinway Baby Grand Piano

20 orchestra stands and 50 deluxestage chairs

Additional musical equipment available

Washer, dryer, steaming and ironingequipment

Portable 4x6 and 4x8 risers withheights of 8", 16", 24" and 32"

15" x 96" and 30" x 96" folding tables,and 24" square pedestal tables

Built in 2010, our award-winning glass-walled lobby, with its sweeping views of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, provides the perfect spot for any gathering. With an open floor plan, Italian marble floors and sleek modern design, this bright, airy, 2,800 square foot space can accommodate sit-down dinners, cocktail receptions and more.

New Play Development

New American Voices (NAV), Queens Theatre's renowned new play development program, is dedicated to supporting writers who represent the rich cultural diversity of the evolving populations of the borough of Queens, New York City and the United States. Since its inception in 2002, approximately one hundred new works have received Play Readings, Showcases and Full Productions on Queens Theatre's three stages (click here for a full list). Audiences have the unique opportunity to participate directly in the development process through post-show discussions with the playwrights, directors and actors.

Unlike many New York City play development programs, which present Play Readings to industry insiders, New American Voices’ audiences are a diverse and dedicated group of theatergoers who cross ethnic, economic, and generational lines. Many writers whose early drafts or premiere productions of their work were presented through NAV have gone on to prominent careers in theatre, including Kristoffer Diaz, Qui Nguyen, Heather Raffo, Rajiv Joseph, Saviana Stanescu, Caridad Svich, Cori Thomas, Thomas Bradshaw, Lloyd Suh, Yusef El Guindi and Lauren Yee.

All readings are free of charge, but reservations are strongly encouraged.

New American Voices Submission Policies

The 2017 Submissions Window is June 1 to September 30.

Queens Theatre is committed to providing opportunities for all writers, regardless of age or experience. We do not require that a writer has representation, or that scripts are submitted through an agent. However, we only accept submission of plays which respond directly to our Mission Statement, below. Additionally, each year, the type of plays we are looking for is subject to change..

During the 2017 Submission Window, Queens Theatre is looking for new work by Middle Eastern and African writers only.

New American Voices Mission Statement: NAV accepts submissions of unpublished plays, giving preference to unproduced work by emerging minority writers and underrepresented voices. We are particularly interested in plays which reflect contemporary issues from various perspectives including race, culture, language, disability, nationality and gender. We accept full-length plays only, at least 70 minutes. No children's shows, and please, one play per writer during each submission window. We are not considering musical submissions at this time.

Depending on the playwrights’ goals, and the developmental needs of the script, each selected NAV play receives a Reading, a Showcase Production, or a Full Production.

Email a letter of inquiry, synopsis, cast breakdown, resume and production history to Director of New Play Development Rob Urbinati Development at roburbinati@gmail.com. In the subject line, be sure to include the following: “NAV Submission,” and the title of the play. Please do not send unsolicited scripts. Allow one year for response. Page samples may be requested following an email inquiry.

For a full list of New American Voices productions, readings and showcases, click here